Sunday, August 23, 2009

Sermon: Pentecost 12 - Year B


Today's OT reading is about the climax of Solomon's reign – his crowning achievement. The temple is finished and the ark of the covenant – the ark where the tablets that held the 10 commandments while the people of Israel journeyed through the wilderness - is laid to rest in the temple’s inner sanctuary after a long journey.

It is a treasured moment. And yet, for all that God's people have achieved, for all that God had done for them, mixed emotion probably ran through the crowd.

Yes, FINALLY, they are like other nations. They have a strong king, a thriving capital city (Jerusalem), and a temple in which to worship. They had arrived.

And yet – at what price?

They have a king – but like all other kings, this king kills his enemies a bit too freely. This king lives a lavish lifestyle on the backs of his people.

They have a capital city and strong infrastructure - as well as the headaches that go with that: excessive taxation, centralized governing authorities who protect their own interests rather than the peoples' they are supposed to serve.

They have a temple in the centre of the city. A church. A Cathedral. A house in which to worship their God. But God's house was built with forced labour. Slaves. And adorned with gold while the people went hungry.

It's like the people of Israel had forgotten their past. It's like they'd forgotten who God is and how God wants them to live.

And, although Solomon comes off in this story as a fully devoted servant of the Lord, we know that that's not always the case.

He is wise – yes – but so often he's...(whole thing here)

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Taiwan's flooding caused by the disaster, let us love to play together to help those in need of help, and now you need to do is click on any one keyword for each link will be sponsored by the NT one dollar, let us work together to create world peace ~ thank you!

台灣這次受到洪水侵襲造成巨大災難,讓我們發揮愛心一起幫助這些需要幫助的人,現在你只要每點擊任何一個關鍵字連結,將會得到新台幣一元的贊助,讓我們一起共同創造世界和平~感謝您!

旅遊 法拍屋 服飾
婦產科 大陸外籍新娘 新娘
納豆保健食品 瑜珈教室
彌月蛋糕 汽車旅館MOTEL 台中住宿
清潔公司 法拍屋 看護
隔熱紙 seo 網路行銷
整形外科 看護 整形
室內設計 系統傢俱 網頁設計
柴犬 哈士奇 網頁設計
防爆工具 瑜珈 機票

Anonymous said...

Love Without Borders, in response to Taiwan's 88 flood, please go to my site ~ Thank you for blessing the whole world!

雲林山區立委補選國民黨提名參選人張艮輝,98/8/23於斗南成立服務處。當天誠心為88災民祈福,祈願蒼天福澤災民,能快速重建家園。

雲林立委候選人張艮輝於會場上表達一貫堅持的參選理念,「一份理想、2 個希望、 3大改變」,並藉盛會為台灣祈福,場上的台灣加油地圖由地方代表等數十人點燃230支蠟燭,代表為台灣加油並點亮台灣因受88水災所面臨的黑暗期,在點燃蠟燭的同時,張艮輝也宣讀為台灣祈福文表示願為台灣這塊土地承受所有苦難。

雲林國民黨雲林立委張艮輝>>>參考網站

Anonymous said...

Love Without Borders, in response to Taiwan's 88 flood, please go to my site ~ Thank you for blessing the whole world!

雲林山區立委補選國民黨提名參選人張艮輝,98/8/23於斗南成立服務處。當天誠心為88災民祈福,祈願蒼天福澤災民,能快速重建家園。

雲林立委候選人張艮輝於會場上表達一貫堅持的參選理念,「一份理想、2 個希望、 3大改變」,並藉盛會為台灣祈福,場上的台灣加油地圖由地方代表等數十人點燃230支蠟燭,代表為台灣加油並點亮台灣因受88水災所面臨的黑暗期,在點燃蠟燭的同時,張艮輝也宣讀為台灣祈福文表示願為台灣這塊土地承受所有苦難。

雲林國民黨雲林立委張艮輝>>>參考網站

Anonymous said...

I wish you health and happiness every day!
Ich wünsche Ihnen Glück und Gesundheit jeden Tag!
Je vous souhaite santé et bonheur chaque jour!

整形
婦產科
張艮輝
法拍屋
瑜珈
服飾
隔熱紙
清潔
雲林

Anonymous said...

Recommend some of Taiwan's high-quality sites so that you do reference and to share ~ and we wish everyone peace and happiness!

Insulation paper:隔熱紙,health foods:保健食品,Baby Cakes:彌月蛋糕
Kaohsiung County Tourism:高雄縣旅遊,>Kaohsiung yoga:高雄瑜珈,Shiba Inu:柴犬
Kenting Tourism:墾丁旅遊,cleaning companies清潔公司,cheese cake:乳酪蛋糕
Clothing wholesale:服飾批發,Vietnamese brides:越南新娘,brides from mainland China:大陸新娘
Shaping:整形,MOTEL:MOTEL,Japanese clothing:日系服飾
Jelly silicone:果凍矽膠,brides from mainland China:外籍新娘,Kaohsiung Tourism:高雄旅遊
Cake:蛋糕,yoga classes:瑜珈教室,Torque Wrench:扭力板手
Internet marketing:網路行銷,website ranking:網站排名,seo:seo

Anonymous said...

Types of chocolate:
Commercially available chocolate and chocolate can be divided into thermostat thermostat-free chocolate, the so-called free thermostat chocolate, is chocolate containing cocoa butter composition of the separation, and then replace the cocoa butter to vegetable oils, due to low prices, easy and in the is not easy to melt under high ambient temperature have been widely used in commercial purposes, the French chocolate Technology Normal University are reluctant to use the thermostat-free chocolate.

Dalai Lama's public trip from August 31 to September 2. Dalai Lama plans on the 30th night entry from Taoyuan International Airport, 31 Chinese and foreign journalists will be held the morning, afternoon, and visits prospecting disaster victims, on the 1st of the trip was a public speech and the victims of the village, a modern place in Kaohsiung City Comprehensive Stadium, 2 No. Han God Dome Banquet Hall with Cardinal Paul Shan Kuo-hsi of the talk.

Anonymous said...

Confidence, perseverance, courage, all three in place, then the world is not impossible to do things.
http://www.104woo.com.tw
www.104woo.com.tw/index.htm
www.kinghouse.cc
www.kinghouse.cc/house.php

Anonymous said...

On the ground planted vegetables, it is unlikely that long grass; the hearts of the good, it is unlikely that health evil.

www.gayoyoga.com.tw
www.gayoyoga.com.tw/teacher.html
www.gayoyoga.com.tw/time.html
www.sunny-yoga.net
www.sunny-yoga.net/news/news001.php?userid=6&page=1
www.sunny-yoga.net/aboutus/aboutus.php

Sur le terrain planté de légumes, il est peu probable que l'herbe longue, le cœur du bien, il est peu probable que le mal de la santé.

Auf dem Boden gepflanzt Gemüse, ist es unwahrscheinlich, dass die hohen Gras, die Herzen der gut ist, ist es unwahrscheinlich, dass die Gesundheit das Böse.